LOOKING AHEAD

One of the greatest joys of studying the Scriptures is learning more a bout the character of God. This quarter will survey three of God’s may attributes.

In the first unit, we see that God is always present. The best place to start is at the beginning, when God created the heavens and earth (lesson 1; Gen. 1:1-13). Then we move to a New Testament passage for information about Jesus’ involvement at Creation (lesson 2; Col. 1:15-23). There, we also see that Jesus upholds all things by His power. Returning to the Old Testament in lesson 3, we go to Jeremiah 23:18024, which helps us understand God’s greatness in relation to His people. He is a God who is both far away and near to them. We complete the first unit with Psalm 139:1-16 (lesson 4), which shows how God knows and cares for us and is always with us.

In the second unit, we investigate four passages that reveal that God knows everything. God revealed to Pharaoh the future famine that would strike Egypt (lesson 5; Gen. 41:25-36). In Acts 4:32 through 5:11 (lesson 6), ,God’s knowledge of Ananias and Sapphira’s thoughts led to their undoing after they lied to God and the church.

Jesus exhibited the same knowledge as the Father in His encounter with Nathanael (lesson 7; John 1:43-51). Jesus again demonstrated His divine knowledge by revealing private information about the Samaritan women (lesson 8; John 4:5-19, 28-29).

The third unit is dedicated to God’s great power. In 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (lesson 9), we see God’s ability to provide spiritual wisdom to believers. Then we behold God’s power to deliver His people through the Red Sea in Exodus 14:10-22 (lesson 10). Jesus showed the same power over nature as the Father when He calmed a raging storm (lesson 11; Mark 4:35-41).

God’s power extends to cover more than natural events. IN lesson 12, Jesus encountered a demon-possessed man (Mark 5:1-20). The man had tremendous strength, and no one could restrain him. But Jesus cast out the demons, and the man was restored to normal. In our final lesson Isaiah 40:12-17, we find the answer to the rhetorical question, Who is like God? Through Isaiah’s words, God provided comfort to His people by reminding them of His great power, knowledge, and sovereignty that He is willing to unleash on their behalf. We serve a mighty God!

Glenn Weaver